Reinforced handle construction for farm and garden tools



G. M. FINKES REINFORCED HANDLE CONSTR FOR FARM AN Flled Mar Dec. 17, 1957 D GARDE 7 a--- 5 a h \mm A M INVENTORY GIMFz-hkes ATTORNEY sRElNFORCED HANDLE CONSTRUCTION FOR FARM AND GARDEN TOOLS George-M. Finkes, Columbus, Ohio, assignor to The Union Fork and Hoe Company, Columbus, Ohio, a corporation of Ohio Application March 21, 1955, Serial No. 495,457

6 Claims. (Cl. 294-57) This invention relates to handle construction for manual tools, the invention being concerned particularly with 'handlesof field forks and the like embodying elongated wood members having forward or lower end portions shapedfor insertion in tubular ferrules forming a part of associated tool heads.

In the construction'of manual tools, vsuch'as forks, spades, hoes and other similar field and garden appliances, it is a common practice to reinforce the wood handles thereof in the transverse planes definedby the outer or upper ends of the metallic ferrules receiving the handles.

'Such'reinforcement is accomplished 'ordinarilyby providingthe handles with narrow width, longitudinally extending slots, the latter being so disposed that in completed tools the lower positioned parts of the same occupy the tool-ferrules, while the upper parts of the slot "are-disposed above the shouldered regions ofthe handles with which the upper ends of the ferrules are maintained in contact. Metallic reinforcing plates are mounted in these -slots, the plates conforming substantially to the length and width dimensions of the slots to provide strong and rigid reinforcements for receiving the shearstresses whicho'ftentend to cause unreinforced handles of this type to break or fail structurally in'the planes 'of their ferrule-engaging shouldered regions.

While such reinforcements contribute substantially -to the overcoming of handle breakage in such manual tools,

they are, however, subject to the objection of being too rigid. In certain types of manual tools, such asforks, it is highly desirable that the handles possess 'a certain degree of resilient flexibility or whip. Users recognize the fact that in discharging the contents of a fork, theaction is facilitated by the snap which is usually imparted to its tined head through the resilient return of the wood handle thereof from a flexed condition of loading to itsn'ormal state, as when the load is released after certain elevation thereof.

Most of the reinforced handles of the prior art fail to provide this flexibility in desirable degree and, as above noted, are often characterized bytheir extreme .ri-gi'dity. It is, therefore, a primary object of this invention to provide a reinforced handle construction for field forks and other manual tools wherein substantially normal flexibility or resiliency characteristics of unreinforced wood handles are present within predetermined limits, yet retaining the full added strength and breakage-resisting features of reinforced handles when the tools are subjected to loading above limits of normal or desired flexibility or resiliency.

Another object of the invention is to provide a metallic plate of novel design for use as a reinforcement in tool handles of the character set forth, the plate including an upwardly disposed anchor portion adapted for rigid connection with associated portions of a slotted tool handle at positions above the tool head ferrule, the lower portions of the plate, within the associated ferrule, having the marginal edges thereof spaced predetermined distances from contiguous wall surfaces of the handle slot and the ferrule, so that following free flexing movement of the tool head, in admitting of desired resiliency on the part thereof, one or more of the marginal edges of the lower socketreceived portion of the plate will come into direct contact with an adjoining handle or ferrule surface in a manner limiting tool head flexibility and enabling the full strength of the reinforcement to be exercised in resisting handle breakage under full load conditions.

This invention also contemplates other details of construction as will hereinafter more fully appear.

The illustrated embodiment of the invention will now be described and thereafter the invention will be pointed outin claims.

Fig. 1 is a perspective view of a fork embodying the invention;

Fig. 2 is an enlarged longitudinal sectional view dis- :closing the handle reinforced region of the fork;

Fig. 3 is a horizontal sectional view taken on the line 3 of Fig. 2;

Fig. 4 is a transverse cross sectional View on the line -4-4 ofFig. 2;

Fig. 5is a detail perspective view of the reinforced plate removed from the handle.

Theillustrated fork is a pitch fork or hay fork. It is 'a threetined fork with a bent wooden handle 1 of the type known as a long handle, being a rounded wooden shaft of varying length up to six feet or the like and generally'tapered at its S lower end to fit within a tapered tubular metalli'c ferrule 2, the ferruled end of the handle being re- "duced in diameter'to just the thickness of the ferrule so that itstapered edge 'at-the annular shoulder firm'akes a flushsifit with the handle above said shoulder.

Thelhandle 1 is shown as a bent handle, though it will be understood that this characteristic of the handle is im- =material to' the invention. Thelower end of thehandle is provided with the conventional bore 4 to receive the tangtor shank5 ofthe fork head 6, the usual over-cap '7 being'employed to complete the attachment of thefork head and handle.

Tlreferrule 2 is of steel or other suitable materialand since the bend at its lower end occurs within its length it is ordinarily applied to the handle before'the handle is bent. vThe ferrule will'partake of the permanent bend and at the same time is suflicientlyflexible andresili'entto yield and-spring with the enclosed wooden shaft and not materially detract fr'om the natural resiliency of the wood.

The handle'is shown'as provided with a through transverse slot 8 in the central vertical longitudinal plane of 'the handle for'ia predetermined distance above and belowtlreshoulder f'a. In this slot there is disposed the reinforcing membe'rf9, which advantageouslymay possess the forms'hown in detail in Fig. 5. In the form shown,

ithe lreinforci'ng m'e'tn'oer consists of two similar plates 9:: and 9b having longitudinally disposed out-turned flanges 10 formed for a distance of their length along the lower longitudinal edges of the plates. These flanges are of just the length to extend from the shoulder 3 to the upper end of the slot in the region 8a thereof. The plates are placed back to back and are disposed in the slot 8 with the flanged portions occupying the portion of the slot above the shoulder 3. The plates 9a and 9b are preferably joined by spot welding the same together to produce a rigid unitary construction. In this instance, the plates include along their longitudinal edges notches 11 which, when the plates are inserted in the slot 8, receive inturned tangs 12 locally formed on the shoulderengaging upper edges of the ferrule 2.

The composite reinforcing plate 9 has the plate members 9a and 9b thereof formed with punched outwardly and angularly directed prongs or tangs 13, which are adapted to bite into the wooden faces forming the upper portion 8a of the slot 8, thereby retaining the reinforcing plate in a stationary and permanently applied position within said handle slot.

Below the anchoring portion 90 of the reinforcing member 9, containing the prongs or tangs 13, said reinforcing member includes a lower portion 9d whichlis adapted to be received within the ferrule-surrounded lower end region 8b of the slot 8. v

By reference to Fig. 2, it will be noted that the marginal edges of the lower section 9d of the reinforcing members 9 are formed so that they are spaced a predetermined distance from the inner surfaces ofthe ferrule and the curved bottom wall 8c of the slot 8, the wall So being disposed in normally adjoining but spaced relation from the correspondingly formed arcuate lower edge 9e of said reinforcing member, while the continuing longitudinally extending edges 9 and 9g are spaced from -the inner wall surfaces of the ferrule 2. Also, at the upper end of the reinforcing member, the same is formed to present an arcuate edge 9h which is slightly spaced from a correspondingly shaped edge or wall surface 8d formed at the upper end of the slot 8.

With the employment of the construction set forth, when the fork 6 is in a lowered position, preparatory to being swung to an elevated position, with the full weight of the load resting on the fork head, the handle 1 of the ferrule 2 under these conditions will flex in a normal resilient manner. If the load is excessive, this flexing will continue until the edges 9a of the reinforcement 9 contact with the lower surfaces 8c of the handle slot 8, or until the edges 9 of the reinforcement engage the adjacent inner wall surfaces of the ferrule 2, when the flexing movement will be arrested by the action of the reinforcing plate. Slightly greater space is provided between the edge 9g of the reinforcing plate and the complemental inner surface of the ferrule 2, to provide for snap action of the fork when a lower tine is moved past center after being elevated with a load thereon in releasing the load. Also, a limited amount of spacing is provided between the arcuate upper edge 9h of the reinforcement and the wall surface 811 of the handle slot, whereby to provide for certain flexing of the elongated handle when a prying force is applied to the head of the fork in the initial elevation of a load or in the dislodgment of obstacles.

In view of the foregoing, it is believed that the nature, operation and advantages of the handle construction will be readily understood.

It is obvious, however, that various modifications may be made in the constructions shown in the drawing and above particularly described within the principle and scope of the invention as set forth in the appended claims.

I claim:

1. Reinforced handle construction for manually operated field forks and the like, comprising: an elongated wood handle member formed with an annularly shouldered diametrically reduced lower end region; a tubular tool head carried ferrule formed for the reception of the lower end region of said handle, the upper end of said ferrule having engagement with the annular shoulder of the handle member; said handle member intermediately of the ends thereof being formed on substantially equidistant opposite sides of the transverse plane of said shoulder with a relatively thin, centrally disposed and longitudinally extending slot which transversely thereof opens to opposite sides of said handle member; a metallic reinforcing plate occupying said slot and conforming substantially to its shape and dimensions, said plate including an anchor section on one side and above the plane of the shoulder of said handle member and a ferrule-received section occupying the remainder of the slot below said shoulder; securing means formed with the anchor section of said plate for rigidly uniting said anchoring section to the handle member, said ferrule-received section being devoid of securing means and having its marginal edges throughout the full length thereof spaced predetermined distances from the adjacent inner surfaces of the ferrule socket and the lower end of said slot, whereby to provide for limited independent flexing movement of the lower end region of the handle member and a tool head carried thereby, direct engagement of the marginal edges of the ferrule carried section of said reinforcing plate with adjacent tool parts serving to arrest or limit positively said flexing movement.

2. Reinforced handle construction as defined in and by claim 1, and wherein the securing means formed with the anchor section of said reinforcing plate comprises integral resilient handle-penetrating prongs which project laterally from each side of the reinforcing plate.

3. Reinforcing handle construction as defined in and by claim 1, and wherein one longitudinal edge only of said reinforcing plate is formed with laterally directed positioning flanges having contact with outer portions of said handle.

4. Reinforced handle construction as defined in and by claim 1, and wherein said slot terminates at the opposite ends thereof in arcuate faces spaced from correspondingly formed edges formed at the upper and lower ends of said reinforcing plate.

5. Reinforced handle construction as defined in claim 1, and wherein the lower edge of the ferrrule-received lower section of the reinforcing plate and complemental lower wall face of the handle slot possess a correspondlng arcuate curvature.

6. Reinforced handle construction as defined in claim 1, and wherein the ferrule-received section of the reinforcing plate has its oppositely disposed longitudinally extending marginal edges inwardly and downwardly tapered from the region of the annular shoulder of the handle member to the lower edge of the plate, the taper of one of said edges being of greater degree than that of the other edge.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,238,104 Finley Apr. 15, 1941 

